Fox was sent to the Spurs by the Kings in a three-party trade on February 3 this year. He represented the Spurs in 17 regular season games, averaging 19.7 points, 6.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, but his three-point shooting percentage was only 27.4% (1.5/5.6) - a defender who averaged less than 20 points per game and had less than 30% of his three-pointers. Why did the Spurs dare to give him a maximum salary of 229 million in four years?
Fox suffered a left pinky tendon injury last season and was reimbursed for the season after undergoing a left pinky tendon repair surgery in March. The injury is undoubtedly the most important influencing factor in Fox's performance sharply decline compared to the Kings.
Fox was the No. 5 pick selected by the Kings in 2017. He has averaged 20+ assists and 5+ per game for six consecutive seasons since his third grade. His personal abilities are unquestionable.
In the 2022-23 season, the 25-year-old Fox averaged 25.0 points, 6.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He was selected for the All-Star and the All-A-Group for the first time in his career. He was also elected to the NBA's first CPOY Clutch Player of the Year. He scored a total of 194 points in the critical period of the 2022-23 season (the score difference of ≤5 points in the last 5 minutes of the game) and led the league!
King of critical moments Fox not only performed well on the offensive end, but also made great progress on the defensive end: in the 2023-24 season, the 26-year-old Fox averaged 26.6 points, 5.6 assists + 36.9% three-point shooting percentage, while averaging 2.0 steals per game and being elected as the league's steal king!
The healthy Fox has the fastest breakthrough start speed in the league, and the secondary acceleration and emergency stop change are excellent. The frequency of breakthrough attacks is ranked among the top five in the league (the highest breakthrough of 1,125 times in a single season). He is also proficient in backward jump shots, emergency stop pulls, and turnover jump shots. Breakthrough and mid-range are his two signature weapons.
A star guard who averaged 25+5 per game at his peak and was elected as the king of the critical moment of the year. He is now under 28 years old. In this offensive era, he is worthy of four years of maximum salary. After all, Homgren, who averages 15 points per game and Jaylen Williams, who averages 21.6 points per game, can get a maximum salary. Fox is above both fame and ability, so it is natural that he can get a maximum salary.
Fox is not perfect, and his three-pointer and physical confrontation ability on the defensive end are his two obvious shortcomings.
Fox averaged 3-point shooting percentage per game in his career, lacking stability. As a left hand, he almost didn't shoot three-pointers in the right corner. The 45-degree three-point shooting percentage on the left was the only area where the Spurs had a shooting percentage of over 35% last season (27.4% per game).
He is a typical breakthrough defender. He played in the 23-year Kings VS Warriors series to tiebreak, and Fox was always "drawn" by Cole strategically shorting the arc top three-pointer - in the 23-year series, Fox averaged 9.0 three-pointers and 3.0 three-pointers, with a three-point shooting percentage of 33.3%.
Defensive end restrictions Fox is also easy to focus on the key points. On the one hand, he is a left-handed player, and on the other hand, his long shot is unstable, which fundamentally determines that Fox relies on the shooter group to open up space and requires specific lineup configurations to maximize personal power.
Fox weighs only 83 kilograms, not only has a light weight, but also has a narrow skeleton. Especially when defending heavy guards, he is relatively disadvantaged. The lack of bulletproof replacement makes him easily forced to take advantage of the low post after being named.
The ability to confront long shots and defensive ends are two obvious shortcomings of Fox. The difficulty of leading the team is obvious and cannot be used as the cornerstone of the championship.
The peak of health Fox is definitely at an average of 25+5 per game, and he is only 27 years old and 228 days old at the golden age. The Spurs' maximum salary for four years has basically locked in Fox's peak period. As long as Fox can ensure health and attendance, this signing can be said to be a sure profit.
The Spurs have no record and no salary pressure at this stage. The renewal of the star guard Fox is in line with the team's long-term development plan.
The competition in the West is fierce, and the defending champion Thunder successively signed up for Homegren and Jaylen Williams. The Nuggets, Rockets and Clippers have all strengthened, and these four teams are firmly in the first echelon; the Lakers, Timberwolves, Warriors, Grizzlies, Kings, and Mavericks are all potential playoff spot competitors, and it is extremely difficult for the Spurs to reach the top eight in the West.
In other words, the Western Conference currently has no record pressure on the Suns, the Trail Blazers, Spurs, Pelicans and Jazz, and there are at least 10 playoff-level teams in the Western Conference. In the short term, it is conceivable that the Spurs will break out of the West in 2-3 years. The two young troops formed by the Thunder and the Rockets are both obstacles. The Spurs' rise again will inevitably replicate the successful cases of the Warriors, Thunder and Rockets' own drafts, and there is no rush to achieve results in recent years.
The Spurs have no salary pressure and are currently taking advantage of rookie bonuses.
The cornerstone of the team building, Wenban Yama, still has two years of rookie contract, Castle still has three years of rookie bonus, and Harper has four years of full. The Spurs will be able to hold two maximum salaries in Vinban Yama and Fox at the same time in the future, and the styles of Castle, Harper and Fox are similar to each other, and they can make choices in the future.
The Spurs have no record or salary pressure in the short term. The two-year rookie contract dividend of Wenban Yama, the cornerstone of the team, really allows the Spurs management to advance or retreat. Holding a star guard who averages 25+5 per game at its peak obviously does not need to think about a small ball club.
Before Wenban Yama's combat effectiveness and his next maximum salary contract took effect, the Spurs' most direct bonus undoubtedly came from Fox. Whether he can stay healthy and regain his peak level of 25+5 per game is of great significance to the Spurs.